To Each Their Own
by foxyfoxmccloud
Summary: Fox McCloud's father never made it home from his mission to Venom. Greiving, and desperate for love and kindness, Fox enters into an abusive relationship with Wolf O' Donnell. He is beaten, slapped, and treated like dirt. Will Fox be able to free himself from the binds of grief and Wolf's hold over him, and will he be able to avenge his father? And will Fox find true love?


"Dad, do you have to go?"

Fox watched his father pack another small bag into the Great Fox,and turn to his son.

"Fox, I do have to go. For the sake of the Lylat System. Andross is on Venom, and strange activity has been occurring on it. General Pepper wanted me, Peppy, and Pigma to check it out. And that's what I have to do." James sighed, a little exasperated with his only son.

"But… Dad… what if something happens to you?" Fox was close to tears, and he was trying to blink them away.

James smiled warmly, the kind of smile only his son, or his late wife, could coax out of him. "Don't worry, Fox. I'll be back before you know it, safe and sound. I promise."

Fox nodded. Safe and sound _._

He watched his father, Peppy, and Pigma, climb into the Great Fox, and prepare to leave. _Safe and sound._

James turned around, and waved to his son. "I love you. See you soon."

 _Safe and sound. He promised. Safe and sound._

And the vulpine thought nothing more of it.

 _Three years later_

Fox was sitting in the classroom next to Slippy Toad. The frog, of course,was goofing around, making jokes, and sketching designs for inventions.

"Bet you this robot I'm designing can teach better than him," Slippy whispered.

Fox tried to hold back a laugh, but still made a _gffp_ noise.

The instructor turned around, glaring at the two boys. "Mr. McCloud, is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?"

"U-uh, no, sir, sorry about that," Fox said sheepishly, with lowered ears, while Slippy was cracking up next to him. The vulpine jabbed his friend with his elbow, while whispering, "Hey, you're gonna get me in trouble one of these days!" But he was smiling.

Slippy was his closest friend, he and his father Beltino had taken him in and took care of the vulpine after James had left for Venom.

However, try as he might to concentrate on the lecture, his mind kept coming back to his dad. He had only been a young pup when his father had left. Try as he might, he honestly couldn't remember what his father sounded like. And his mother….

His mother was a distant memory. He could remember nothing about her.

The thought made the vulpine a little sad. He missed his father. While he was 17 and almost an adult, he yearned to have the father/son relationship he saw in Slippy and his father, Beltino.

Fox was so distracted with his thoughts, he didn't notice the note in front of him.

Slippy poked his friend. "Hey, Fox, this note is saying for you to go to the Headmaster's office right away."

Fox became nervous. He never really got into trouble, but when he did, boy, did his father chew him out about it. The vulpine picked up his books and his backpack, and headed out into the hall and to the Headmaster's room.

Fox knocked on the Headmaster's door, and he heard a rough "Come in".

Sitting in a chair across from the Headmaster was General Pepper.

 _Oh!_ Fox's ears twitched. _Is dad home?_

"Fox.." General Pepper rasped, then cleared his throat. "Please sit down."

Fox sat. "Is my father home? Did he make it back from Venom?"

Pepper took a deep sigh. "We have some bad news."

Fox's ears twitched again. "Oh, was his ship damaged on the way home? Is he injured?"

"Fox… your father is dead."

And those four words filled the room, with disbelief and sorrow.

"W-what? Dad.. but it was just a routine check on Venom! Dad can't..no…" Fox looked down in his lap, feeling his paws curl into fists. "Don't tell me my father is dead!"

"We're sorry. Pigma betrayed Peppy and your father, and they were both captured by Andross. Peppy made it back… but your father didn't. I'm so sorry, Fox." Pepper said with tears in his eyes.

"No.. no! Dad can't be dead!" Fox stood up and backed away. "You're lying. Dad isn't dead! He's not gone! He's going to come home! He promised!"

"Fox, please-" the headmaster interjected.

"No! Leave me alone!" The vulpine turned tail and ran out of the room, tears stinging his eyes. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. Everything in his body seemed to shut down.

 _Safe and sound. He promised._

He didn't remember getting there, but he was outside, on the ground with the red and orange leaves all around him, his pocketknife in his hand.

 _Dad was all I had left. Mom is gone. I have no one else._

He held the knife up to the light of the sun. The metal glistened and shone.

 _It's so pretty._

Fox took a deep breath, and managed to move his sleeve up.

 _If dad's not here, then I don't want to be here, either._

And then the knife was snatched out of his hand.

He turned, shouting, "Who-"

He saw it was Wolf O' Donnell, who was known as the hotshot dropout.

"What the hell are you doing, pup?" the grey furred lupine snarled.

"My dad, he's dead… or so they say… and I just.. dad… I need my dad.." and then Fox broke down. He couldn't take it. He wanted his father. He wanted his father to hold him and sing to him, they way he did after his mother died and he couldn't sleep. He wanted to see his dad smirk, smile and laugh, the kind Fox could only draw out of him.

He wanted his father, and he would never see him again.

"There, there, Fox. I'm here. Your dad may be gone, but that's no reason to go and stab yourself." Wolf drew him into a hug, which shocked the vulpine. In all the times he heard or seen Wolf, he was always stone cold and withdrawn. Never that he was affectionate or loving.

"You know, pup, technically I have dropped out. But I came back here to pick up the last of my stuff from my shitty roommate, and to tell you something. …...I love ya, pup. Always have. I'm drawn to you. Ever since that class we had together, defense tactics. Couldn't get away from you. Couldn't keep my eyes off you. What do you say, Fox? Want to give this a shot?"

Fox looked up with tears in his eyes, and saw warmth in Wolf's eyes. Warmth and love.

And love was the one thing Fox McCloud desired in his life right then.

"Okay. Let's give this a shot."

The lupine grinned, and then brought his lips to Fox's in a slow, sweet kiss.


End file.
